Shelf stacks



July 3, 1962 T. H. E. JAKOBSSON SHELF STACKS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledMarch 31, 1959 [III] m n i .H n E llm u 1 u I n July 3, 1962 T. H. E.JAKOBSSON 3,

SHELF STACKS Filed March 31, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent3,042,220 SHELF STACKS Tage Harald Eugn Jakohsson, Herserudsvagen 56,Lidingo, Sweden Filed Mar. 31, 1959, Ser. No. 803,184 9 Claims. (Cl.211-148) The present invention generally relates to shelf stacks, suchas bookstacks of the kind comprising detachable upright end members eachof which includes two generally vertically extending spaced lengths ofrigid wire which support the shelves stacked one above another.

In a previously known bookstack of the kind referred to the shelfsupporting elements are constituted by horizontally extending lengths ofwire which are secured in between the spaced upright end member wiresand on which the shelves are supported by means of hook-like fittingsattached to the adjacent ends of the shelves. This shelf stack designsuffers from the drawback that the shelves rest loosely on thehorizontally extending supporting wires, whereby the shelf may be liftedup from its proper position if One happens to push the shelf from below.In addition, the end members will be expensive to manufacture due to thenecessity of welding or otherwise rigidly securing the shelf-supportingcrosswires to the spaced upright wires.

The present invention has for its object to provide a shelf stack whichobviates the above-mentioned drawbacks.

For the object stated, a shelf-stack, particularly a book stack, of thekind referred to is mainly characterized in that the two spaced uprightrigid wires of each end member are bent into a saw-tooth-likeconfiguration such as to form, for each shelf position, horizontalsupports directed towards each other for supporting hook-fashioncrosssectioned shelf fittings, and, above the respective shelfpositions, downwardly diverging wire portions adapted to be embraced byhook-like gripping elements formed integrally with a corresponding endcross piece or brace and adapted to cooperate in a wedge-like mannerwith said diverging wire portions so as, in a pushed-down position ofsaid cross brace, to urge the wires into abutting engagement with theends of said shelf fittings, respectively, whereby the shelves aresecurely anchored to the upright end members of the shelf stack.

Said end cross pieces or braces embracing the spaced upright wires in awedge-like manner are preferably in the form of plates of sheet-metal,plastic material or the like and are formed with bent-over edge portionsto embrace and grip the straight and downwardly diverging portions ofthe spaced wires of the upright stack end mem bers. It may be convenientin certain cases to interconnect said end cross braces in pairs at theirrear edges by a suitably sheetdike back member.

The shelfstack of the invention oflfers particular ad vantages when madein the form of a bookstack. It may be arranged either to be mounted on awall, or to be supported on a floor or any other supporting base.

The storage shelfstack of the invention can be made to be extendible ina kit-like manner both horizontally and vertically. In this instance,when constructed for mount ing on walls, the wall fastening means for alower shelfstack may suitably be formed as lateral guide members for theupright end members forming part of a shelf-stack mounted at a higherlevel.

A shelf-stack constructed in accordance with the invention is verysturdy in its assembled condition and has a very attractive appearance.

The invention will now be described in greater detail in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a double bookstack according to theinvention and adapted to be mounted on a wall;

$342,220 Patented July 3, 1962 ice FIG. 2, on a larger scale, is afragmentary vertical sectional elevation;

FIG. 3, also on a larger scale, shows a suspension bracket in frontelevation;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged side elevation of the bookstack shown in FIG. 1,and illustrating the suspension bracket in vertical section;

FIG. 5 shows a modified form of end member;

FIG. 6 is a fractional side elevation showing two associated bookstackssuspended on a wall, one above the other;

FIG. 7 is a perspective rear view of a bookstack to be supported on afloor, and

FIG. 8 is a front elevation of three floor-supported bookstacksassembled into a unitary structure.

Referring to the drawings, each shelf stack end member, as is shownparticularly clearly in FIG. 4, is composed of two spaced upright,heavy-gage lengths of steel-wire, 10 and 11, which are interconnected attheir bottom ends by a straight horizontal portion 12 serving as asupporting element for a hook-sectioned end fitting 14 on the lowermostshelf 15. The inwardly bent portions 16 and 17 of the wires formhorizontal supports for the end fittings 14 of the intermediate anduppermost shelves 15. The topend portions 18 and 19 of the wires 10 and11 are bent over in a hook-like fashion and engage pins 20 and 21,respectively, which are secured in between the two cheek plates 23, 24-of the bracket 22, said cheek plates being substantially triangular anddisposed in spaced parallel interrelation. These bracket cheek platesare welded to a supporting plate 27 adapted to engage the wall andprovided with a hole 25 for a fastening element 26. The bracket cheekplates 23 and 24 are interconnected at their top edges by a cover plate28. The wire lengths 10 and 11 are formed above shelf supportingportions 12 and 16, 17, respectively, with rectilinear portions 29 and30, respectively, which diverge downwardly towards the shelf supportingportions. Said downwardly diverging wire portions are embraced in awedge-like manner by bentover edge portions of end cross braces 31 whichare adapted in their pushed-down position to urge the opposed wireportions at the angle between the horizontal shelfsupporting portionsand the downwardly diverging straight wire portions against the adjacentends of the end fitting 14 concerned, whereby these end fittings serveas spacing elements, the shelves 15 being thus rigidly secured in place.The wedging cross braces 31, being suitably in the form of plates ofsheet-metal, plastic material or the like formed with bent-overend-edges, will also serve to oppose any tendency of the wires 10 and 11to straighten out due to the load from the shelves.

In order to enable the end cross plates 31 efiiciently to serve aslateral supports for both ends of the row of books, they are formed withembossments 32 which form on one face of the plate ridges which lieflush with the bent-over edge portions, whereby the adjacent book maybear on these bent-over portions as well on said ridges.

The shelf-end fittings generally designated by the numeral 14, as willappear from FIG. 2, are formed in a manner to enable the fitting 14a atone end of a shelf to grip over the underlying end fitting 14b of theopposite end of the adjacent shelf, if any. Fittings 14a and 1417 are ofinverted U-shape and are preferably secured to shelf 15 by means ofscrews 50.

To prevent sidewise oscillation of the wall-bookstack, there is providedat the bottom end of each upright wire end member an extension 33 havingan elongated opening or slot for passing a nail 34 or any otherfastening element.

If it is desirable to enable the shelf spacings to be changed, then thewire lengths 10 and 11 may be bent into the configuration illustrated inFIG. 5 so that horizontal 3 shelf supports 16, 17 and 16', 17 areprovided at slightly different levels.

In the wall-suspension bookstack of FIG. 6, the two spaced upright andsawtooth-shaped wire lengths and 11 of the stack-end members areinterconnected at their top ends by a crosswise extending wire portion35. The wall mounting member 36 from which the stack-end member issuspended embraces in a sleeve-like manner the Wire portion 29immediately beneath the horizontally extending wire portion 35. Adjacentthe wall, the mounting member 36 forms a sleeve-like guiding element 37in which the downward extension 33 of a shelf stack disposed at a higherlevel may be received. The mounting member 36 is fastened to the wall bymeans of two nails 38 which are driven on either sides of the rear wireof the upper upright end member. An inclined cross brace 39 is providedfor stiffening the stack-end member.

In the fioor-supported bookstack of FIG. 7, the stack end members havetheir bottom cross portions formed into legs 40 serving for supportingthe composed shelf stack on a floor. The plate-like end cross braces 31are interconnected in pairs at their rear edge by a sheet-like backmember 41 forming a rear support for the books and also imparting thenecessary lateral stiffness to the com posed bookstack. As shown in thedrawing, the back member and end cross braces are formed integrally bybending one single sheet member. The topmost shelf 42 is formed neareach end with a transverse slot 43. By means of these slots the shelf 42is received on the top end portions of the respective stack end memberswith the end edges of the slots supported on the downwardly divergingwire portions 29 and 30.

FIG. 8 illustrates the composition of a treble shelf-stack with threeshelves. The upright stack-end members 31 are interconnected in pairs byback members 4 1. Simple end cross bracing plates 31 are mounted at themiddle of the length of the outermost stack end members.

What I claim is:

1. A shelf stack, comprising shelves and detachable upright end memberseach including two generally vertically extending spaced lengths ofrigid wire which support the shelves stacked one above another,characterized in that the two spaced upright rigid wires of each endmember are bent into a saw-tooth-like configuration such as to form,corresponding to each shelf position, horizontal supports directedtowards each other for supporting hook sectioned shelf fittings, eachsaid wire having downwardly diverging wire portions which are embracedby hooklike gripping elements formed integrally with a corresponding endcross piece and adapted to cooperate in a wedge-like manner with saiddiverging wire portions so as, in a pushed-down position of said crossbrace, to urge the wires into abutting engagement with the ends of saidshelf fittings, respectively, whereby the shelves are securely anchoredto the upright end members of the shelf stack.

2. A shelf stack according to claim 1, characterized in that the endcross pieces embracing the spaced upright wires in a wedge-like mannerare in the form of plates and are formed with bent-over'edge portions toembrace and grip the downwardly diverging portions of the spaced wiresof the uprigtht stack end members.

3. A shelf stack according to claim 2, characterized in that said crossbracing plates are formed with one or more embossments which formsurfaces flush with the bent-over edge portions for laterally supportingbooks or the like placed on the respective shelf.

4. A shelf stack according to claim 2, characterized in that the saidcross bracing plates are interconnected in pairs at their rear edges bymeans of a back member composed of sheet-material.

5. A shelf stack according to claim 1, characterized in that the twospaced upright lengths of wire of each stack end member are constitutedby the upwardly directed branches of one single length'of wire bent intohairpinconfiguration.

6. A shelf stack according to claim 5, characterized in that the twospaced upright lengths of wire of each stack end member areinterconnected, in addition, at their top ends by a crosswise extendingwire portion.

7. A shelf stack according to claim 1, characterized in that the spacedwire lengths of each stack end member are bent correspondingly intoconfigurations such as to provide, in respect of one shelf, at least,two or more supports disposed at different levels to enable the shelf tobe placed selectively on one or another of said supports.

8. A shelf stack according to claim 1 and adapted to be supported on afloor or other supporting base, characterized in that a crosswiseextending wire portion interconnecting the bottom ends of the spacedupright stack end member wires is formed into a supporting foot for thecorresponding shelf stack end member.

9. A shelf stack according to claim 8, characterized in that the topmostshelf is formed with crosswise extending slots by which the shelf isreceived on the top-end portions of the stack end members, respectively,with the end edges of said slots bearing against the downwardlydiverging wire portions, respectively.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,315,595 Chappory Apr. 6, 1943 2,328,910 King Sept. 7, 1943 2,657,810Garn'ck Nov. 3, 1953 2,738,883 Wineman Mar. 20, 1956 2,741,370 DillsApr. 10, 1956 2,848,119 Fitser Aug. 19, 1958 2,869,731 Axelrod Jan. 20,1959

